Fert Flammeum
by CompletelyMisunderstood109
Summary: My heart rate speeds up and it's so quiet I'm sure everyone can hear it. Blood starts pounding in my ears when I see Katniss try to move through the crowd to reach her sister. I make a split second decision that will either change my life forever or end it. "I volunteer!"
1. Reaping

_**Chapter 1 **_

_**A/N- So, this is just a little story that wouldn't leave my head so I decided to post it to see what you guys think. Let me know please. :) I have Carlynn's Reaping outfit on my profile if you wish to see it. More will be posted for later chapters.**_

_**-DISCLAIMER- I own nothing but my character and her mom. **_

Life has always been hard for my family. Hell, I'm sure life is hard for everyone else in this god-forsaken district. It's all because of how far we are from the Capital. You'd think that maybe they would treat us better since we provide their coal for whatever it is they need it for. I guess you figured out which district I live in by now, if not I'll tell you since you seem to be too stupid to comprehend it. No offense or anything. I'm talking about the _lovely_ District 12. Let me tell you about my life.

I live in the Seam, the less fortunate side of the small district. Now, most of the Seam residents detest the Merchants because of how much they have and how better of a life obtain. I think their reasoning is a bunch of bull. Why give a shit about what other people have? Most, if not all, were born into that life. They have no control over that. I'm not saying I actually like the Merchant children, because most of them I don't, I'm just saying that that's not a reasonable explanation to ones hatred.

That said lets continue. I really only have five friends here; Peeta, Primrose, Gale, Madge, and lastly Katniss Everdeen. Surprisingly she and I are the closest. We have more in common. We both are generally natural survivors, we both hunt, both of our dads are gone, and once our dads had gone our 'mothers' had gone into a depression. However her mother had been able to overcome it.

Today is the most _famous_ day of the year, The Reaping. Of course, none of us in this district are excited. We haven't had a victor since Haymitch and he's a drunk. I dress in my nicest clothes, which is a plain white dress and black sandals, and walk out of my small bedroom. My sickly looking mother sits on my dad's favorite chair and stares into space. That's all she ever does. I guess she could have been beautiful once. Her dark hair cascading in curls that I inherited, high cheek bones that I had also inherited. Our only major differences are our eyes. While hers are a dull grey that used to contain warmth and happiness mine are a dark sapphire blue that I had gotten from my father. She only eats twice a week and even then it's just a small slice of bread. I walk over and tap her shoulder, but she never even looks my way. Just sits there.

I leave her in her dream-like state and make my way to the town square. I pass Katniss's house and she wordlessly falls instep beside me. That's the best thing about our friendship. No words need to be spoken, we just understand each other. Her little sister, Prim, on the other hand loves to talk. We step foot in the Town's Square just as she finishes telling us about what she learned in school the other day.

As we go to the entrance desk Prim freezes up. I look into her line of sight; she saw one of the Peacekeepers pricking a young boy's finger. I go to stop too but my dark-haired friend lifts a hand letting me know I can go. I nod to them both and step in line. The female Peacekeeper grabs my hand, draws blood with the needle and squeezes it on the paper. She uses her electronic device and scans the blood, _**MOSHA, CARLYNN **_appearing on the small screen. I swiftly move through the crowd of nervous teens and stand in the sixteen-year-old section. Katniss quietly slips in beside me and I grab her hand reassuringly.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Our district escort, Effie Trinket, cheers, her false smile getting larger. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be _ever_ in your favor." Her accent getting more prominent at the end of her sentence. "Now, before we begin, we have a very special film brought to you all the way from the Capitol."

_**War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This**_

_**was the uprising that rocked our land.**_

_**Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them,**_

_**loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother**_

_**until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought,**_

_**sorely won. The people rose up from the ashes and a new era was born. **_

_**But freedom has a cost and the traitors were defeated.**_

_**We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so **_

_**it was decreed, each year, the various districts of Panem would offer**_

_**up in tribute, one young man and woman, to fight to the death**_

_**in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. The **_

_**lone victor bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity**_

_**and our forgiveness. This is how we remember**_

_**our past. This is how we safeguard our future.**_

"I just love that." She breaths out, her fake smile returning. "Now the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the _honor _of representing District 12 in the 74th annual Hunger Games. Now, ladies first." She wobbles over to the glass bowl in her ridiculously high heels and pulls out a small card. When the microphone is close to her mouth she announces the name, "Primrose Everdeen!"_ No._

My heart rate speeds up and it's so quiet I'm sure everyone can hear it. Blood starts pounding in my ears when I see Katniss try to move through the crowd to reach her sister. I make a split second decision that will either change my life forever or end it. "I volunteer!"


	2. The Justice Building

**_A/N- I'm sorry that it has taken me _****forever ****_to update :). I also know this chapter probably isn't as good as you would hope, I was just trying to get this out of the way so the fun parts can start. I'll be working on Chapter 3 now (The start of the parade and the first interaction with Cato. Wooo!) Lots of Love and Chinchillas, CM109 3 (Check my profile for the link to her outfits. I'll let you know when to check ;)]_**

**_Chapter 2_**

The reaction was instant. Katniss, who had just about reached her sister, froze and spun around to face me, disbelief etched on to her face. Everyone else had turned their heads in my direction, different emotions scattered from different people; Sadness, anger, disbelief, relief, more anger. I step in the empty aisle and hear Prim's small voice call out, "Carly?" I turn around and see her running toward me, dodging the Peacekeepers who try making a grab for her.

She wraps her small arms around my middle and sobs. "Carlynn, you can't go!" I crouch down to her level and hold her shoulders. "Prim, Prim go to your sister, okay? I'll be fine, I promise." She shakes her head, grabs hold of my arms and continues crying. I hear the clatter of feet, one heavy and one light. Assuming its Katniss and Gale I stand making Prim grab onto my waist again. Katniss tries to pry her off but she holds me in a vice-like grip. "Prim, I have to go." She shakes her head furiously. I look at Gale pleadingly and he tears her off while she screams and hits his back. Katniss follows sorrowfully and the Peacekeepers surround me, walking me to the steps that will lead me up to the stage.

Effie, in all her pink glory, beckons me forward. I stare neutrally out at my district when I'm behind of the microphone. "What's your name, dearie?" Effie's ridiculous voice breaks me out of my reverie.

"Carlynn Mosha." I dully answer. My eyes are trained on my surrogate family. Prim is sobbing on Gales shoulder, He and Katniss look furious, and Mrs. Everdeen silently pats her youngest daughters back sadly.

"I bet my hat that you knew her very well." Effie chirps. I refrain from rolling my eyes at her. "Yes."

"Oh, wonderful!" She laughs. "Don't want her to have all the glory now, do we? Let's have a hand for our first ever volunteer, Ms. Carlynn Mosha." She ecstatically claps her hands together but the district stays silent. So silent that it's almost deafening. Then, one-by-one, each person lifts their right hand in a three finger salute. A gesture rarely used, meaning thanks, admiration, and good-bye to a loved one.

Effie Trinket, seemingly a little shocked, goes on with the reaping. "Now for the boys." _Please don't be Gale. Please don't be Rory. Please don't be . . ._ "Peeta Mellark!" _Peeta._ One of my best friends, the kind little baker boy that I've known for years, a tribute in the most deadly games ever. "Here we are; our tributes from District 12, Peeta Mellark and Carlynn Mosha. Go on you two, shake hands."

He holds his hand out but instead of giving him mine I grab his arm and pull him toward me, embracing him in a tight hug. "It'll be okay, Peeta." I whisper determinedly. "I'm going to get you through this. You will win." We eventually separate and he shakes his head in denial. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."

"You promise you'll come back, Carly?" I was currently sitting on the plush red couch with Prim on my lap. Her mother and sister sit on either side of me to control little Prim if she started her fit again.

"You know I can't promise that Little Bit, but I'll try." I run my thin fingers through her golden tresses. "They've got knives you know. It'll be an easy win."

She nods and starts playing with the chain around my neck. "You never told me where this came from."

I smile and look down at the silver ring with the large orange jewel in the center. "It's a family heirloom. It's been in my family since before the Hunger Games." The wooden door swings open and the dark-skinned Peacekeeper lets us know that our time together is over. They each hug me one last time before exiting the room.

I lean back into the furniture and close my eyes. How am I going to get through this? How will I keep Peeta safe? The wooden door opening and slamming shut causes my eyes to snap open and me to jump to my feet. I take in the handsome appearance of my friend, brother, before launching myself at him and dry sobbing into his shoulder. "I need you and Katniss to take care of my mother. Make sure she eats, okay?"

He nods his head before wrapping his arms around me securely. "I will, you know I will. But you're acting like this is goodbye, like we won't see you again."

I swallow thickly before whispering tearfully into his ear. "I'm not coming back, Gale. I can't let him die, he's my friend. I couldn't live with myself if he died because I couldn't save him."

Gale pulls back before gripping my shoulders in a tight hold. "You've got to try, Carly. You can't just give yourself up because of a friend."

I pull out of his hold roughly. "You'd do the same damn thing if it was you and Katniss!" I snap only to sigh as his eyes harden. "Just make sure Prim doesn't watch when the time comes." He looks ready to argue before he stops himself. "Alright, I will."

I smile sadly up at him. "You're a good friend, Gale." I lean in for another hug and the door opens. "Alright, times up lets go."

"Take care of them!" I yell as he gets pulled away. I slump into the chair and wipe away my tears. _And now I wait_

**_A/N- Reviews are greatly loved and thank you for them!_**

**_MarinaTheJolteonMaster- Carlynn is taking Katniss's place (Of course that's obvious) so that means Peeta will be in this story as a tribute but you'll just have to watch how it plays out. Katniss does actually have a big part in here and so does Peeta. You'll see :) - If that all made no sense I'm sorry xD_**


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